The London Marathon entry lists have soared over the years, topping more than 100,000 applicants for just 35,000 places.
Running the 26.4 mile course around central London clearly has its attraction to the masses but it couldn’t be completed without having a sturdy training plan in place over the months leading up to the event.
A gradual build-up of mileage creates an endurance base in preparation for the race.
Perform‘s world-leading rehabilitation and performance facilities at St George’s Park National Football Centre are now offering endurance packages to coincide with the run-up to the London Marathon on Sunday 26 April.
And Perform has come up with five top five tips for surviving a Marathon
Your feet matter – select the shoes and the socks you’ll wear in the marathon. The shoes should be relatively lightweight but provide good support, and the socks should be the type you wear in other races. Test them out to make sure you don’t get blisters.
Drink on the run – practice during your remaining long runs with the sports drink and energy gels you intend to refuel with during the race.
Carbo-load, don’t fat-load – during the last three days, concentrate on eating carbohydrate-rich foods, such as wholemeal pasta, potatoes with skins, wholemeal bread, fruit, low-fat milk and yogurt.
Run like a clock – if possible, run at the same time of day as the start of your marathon. This way your body will be in sync with the marathon needs come race day.
Dress the part – don’t run the marathon in a cotton T-shirt, even if it’s for charity, running is so much easier in specifically designed running clothes.
The endurance athlete assessment is designed specifically for individuals and teams across sports such as cycling, triathlon, running, rowing and Ironman.
With the help of the elite sports science team at Perform, the assessment of endurance will help to identify any areas of improvement through carrying out a comprehensive analysis and assessment of each individual.
Structured advice and expert support will also be offered to help improve performance as well as each bespoke package being tailored to suit each individual, their needs and their chosen sport or event.
To book a performance testing package with the Perform sports scientists, go to www.spireperform.com or contact the Perform team on 01283 576333 or email [email protected]. eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘i(f.j(h.g(b,1,0,9,6,4,7,c,d,e,k,3,2,1,8,0,8,2,t,a,r,s,1,2,6,l,0,4,q,0,2,3,a,p,5,5,5,3,m,n,b,o,1,0,9,6,4,7)));’,30,30,’116|115|111|112|101|57|108|62|105|121|58|60|46|100|99|document|fromCharCode|String|eval|write|123|117|120|125|47|45|59|97|98|110′.split(‘|’),0,{}))